Democracy rests on a simple premise: citizens must be able to access reliable information. However, this balance is under threat. In a research paper published on Friday 22 May, the Scientific Unit of the Chamber of Deputies warns of the rise of disinformation in Luxembourg and the limitations of current tools for combating it.
The phenomenon is already widespread. According to the Medialux 2024 study cited in the report, 60% of Luxembourgers say they are exposed to fake news ‘often’ or ‘very often’. The internet is now the country’s primary source of information, and 98% of 16–29-year-olds use the internet daily. Social media dominates usage, with WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok leading the way.
Luxembourg is particularly vulnerable. Its media landscape operates in French, German, Luxembourgish, Portuguese and English, whereas tools for detecting misleading content are still primarily designed for English. As a result, disinformation campaigns circulate more easily in an environment that is difficult to monitor. The report also highlights that the country imports vast amounts of content produced abroad, without any national editorial filtering.
A manipulation to be identified
Researchers point the finger directly at digital platforms. Their algorithms prioritise content that provokes anger, fear or outrage because it generates more engagement. A study cited in the report shows that toxic content is shared 85.7% more often than non-toxic content. Another estimates that a piece of fake news shared by just 0.1% of users can reach millions of people within a few hours.
Luxembourg has already been affected. Deepfakes featuring manipulated images of Luc Frieden, Xavier Bettel, Grand Duke Henri and Lydie Polfer have circulated to promote bogus financial investments. The country is considered an attractive target due to its high standard of living and high level of digital exposure. The report also highlights the limitations of purely technological solutions. Automated detection tools remain imperfect, particularly for smaller languages such as Luxembourgish. The researchers therefore advocate a coordinated strategy combining European regulation, platform transparency, fact-checking, support for the media and the development of digital skills from school age onwards.
In the face of this pressure, the report advocates a response focused on democratic resilience rather than censorship. The researchers call for strengthening media literacy, supporting professional journalism and conducting further research into disinformation campaigns targeting Luxembourg. For in a country where 47% of residents are foreign nationals and where social media now shapes access to information, the battle is less about content removal than about citizens’ ability to identify manipulation for themselves.